


Missing You

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Gratsu [11]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Established Relationship, Homecoming, Love, M/M, Missing You, Seperations, delayed trains
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-08-17 07:14:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16511699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: All Gray wants to do is get home to his Dragon-slayer, but the weather and the trains are not making it easy for him, but the Ice mage is not about to make Natsu wait any longer than necessary, what does it matter if he gets a little wet?





	Missing You

  Gray growled under his breath as he stared up at the information board, irritation and despair competing for dominance as the words ‘ ** _cancelled_** ’ appeared next to all trains between Onibus and Magnolia. His trains had been delayed all day, the stormy weather playing havoc across Fiore but at least he’d been getting somewhere, but now that home was practically within sight he was stuck in the middle of nowhere. Apparently, it was something to do with the line being blocked by floodwater and debris, but he didn’t care about the reason, wanting nothing more than to howl out his frustration. It had been a long, tedious job that the Master had asked him to do as a favour, and he was desperate to get home and rest, and more importantly, see Natsu. The Dragon-slayer had clearly been down in the dumps when they’d spoken the night before via communication lacrima, and Gray knew it was because it was the first time they’d been apart for this long in months and he had to admit that he hadn’t liked the separation one bit either. _Stupid Flamebrain forcing himself into every bit of my life,_ however, he couldn’t even generate the slightest bit of heat behind that thought.

_I miss him…_

   Sighing he rubbed a hand over his face before refocusing on the screen, hoping against hope that maybe one last train would be running, but no it was still a screen of red notices screaming at him that he wasn’t getting anywhere - at least not that way. He glanced across at the windows, taking in the sheets of water running down the panes and knowing that if he stepped outside he would be drenched in seconds and he scowled, chewing on his bottom lip as he thought. He’d done the walk from here to Magnolia once before when he’d been short on money, and if he pushed it, he could still be home that night. However, the weather wasn’t particularly suited to walking right now. There was always the option of a magical car, but it would cost a fair bit to rent one, and he was keen to save as much of his reward money as possible as he’d promised Natsu they could go out for the day once he was back and he wasn’t about to break his word.

   Glancing at the board one last time he turned and made his way across to the information desks, hoping that they would have some more useful information than just cancelled notices. He didn’t care if he had to wait around for hours, as long as he got home today. _Before Natsu destroys the guild_ …His lips quirked up slightly at that thought, aware of how destructive a bored Natsu could be, and he almost pitied the others for what might happen of that boredom morphed into a temper tantrum if he found out Gray wasn’t coming home today. Almost, because at the moment he felt like having a tantrum as well and there was no one around to suffer through it with him.

“When will the line be clear again?” Gray demanded as he stalked up to the nearest information point, aware that his tone was harsher than necessary but unable to summon the energy to soften it. _I want to go home_. The harried looking woman seemed as though she was about to snap at him, clearly fed up of such demands already, however something in his expression seemed to stop her and her expression softened slightly as she glanced at the information board.

“We’re not sure, a couple of days at least and that depends if we can get help from one of the guilds,” she explained looking and sounding genuinely apologetic, which was probably one of the only reasons that Gray managed not to snap at her again, the news hitting him like a ton of bricks. Part of him contemplated the thought that maybe he should stick around and help since he was already here, but then Natsu’s face flashed thought his mind, and he shook his head to clear the thought. He needed to get home, and that clearly wasn’t happening via train.

“That long…” Gray muttered under his breath, there was no way he was willing to wait around for that long, not when Magnolia and Natsu were so close. Readjusting the strap of his rucksack he turned away with a sigh, time to come up with a backup plan and quickly.

“Sir?”

“Thanks for the information,” he called over his shoulder not bothering to turn back, stalking towards the exit with the vague idea of looking to see how much the magic cars were. Surely Natsu would rather have him back on time, and worry about their day of fun later? To be fair he knew that the Dragon-slayer would be perfectly happy with a day at home, just the two of them cuddling up to watch a film and relax, and he felt some of his irritation settling at the image. Who knew the Flamebrain would be such a romantic at heart? The Ice mage had always assumed that he would be the main romantic one in their relationship, but Natsu had surprised him from the very first day, and he certainly wouldn’t change it for the world, and there was a fresh spring in his step as he headed outside.

****

   The atmosphere in the guild felt strange from the moment that Lucy stepped inside, and she hesitated for a moment as she glanced around with a frown. She couldn’t put a finger on what was wrong, but it felt off, and it wasn’t just the abnormal silence. It had been fairly quiet ever since Natsu and Gray had moved past fighting every few minutes and actually become a mated pair, and even more so since the Ice mage was currently away. Wrinkling her nose at that thought she moved forward, glancing around for her pink-haired best friend who’d been sulking around the guild for the past few days, adamantly refusing to go on a job with them because he wanted to be home for when Gray got back, even when they’d tried to convince him that it would help make the time pass quicker.

   Finally, she spotted him sitting right in the back corner, blinking in surprise as she took in the nearly visible black cloud that was hanging over him and the complete and utter lack of his usual smile. Even over the last couple of days, he’d made an effort to stay cheerful and join in with the guild, and yet now he was letting off very clear signals that he wanted to be left alone. For a minute she contemplated ignoring the signals and going across to find out what was wrong, but then he glanced up for a moment, and she found herself swallowing nervously as she caught the fire burning in his eyes. _Yep, not in the mood for company_ , she amended as she hastily looked away, relieved to spot Erza sitting with the rest of her team on another table and she quickly made a beeline from them, trying to ignore the thought that she was trying to hide from the Fire mage.

“What’s wrong with Natsu? I thought Gray was coming home today?” She asked as soon as she reached them, slipping into the seat beside Wendy and glancing nervously back at Natsu, relieved to see that his attention had returned to glowering at the table in front of him.

“They’ve stopped all trains in and out of Magnolia,” Erza replied with a sigh as she also glanced across at the Dragon-slayer, she’d been here when the news arrived, and she’d seen the way his expression had fallen before he’d stomped off to sulk. _Natsu…_ It amused her slightly that he was like this over the very mage that he had spent years scrapping with every time they were in the same space, but she hated to see him looking so forlorn. “Apparently the railway line has been damaged with the storm, and it’s going to take a few days at least.”

“Oh, Natsu…” Lucy murmured under her breath, his behaviour making sense now and she winced as she imagined how he was going to be if it took even longer than that. Beside her Happy looked equally worried, shooting frequent glances at the Dragon-slayer but seemingly just as wary of disturbing him as she was.

   They’d been sat there for nearly half an hour, eventually breaking into quiet conversation although they all checked on Natsu frequently, especially after hearing him snapping at an unsuspecting Mira although he had quickly apologised for that. Lucy was just contemplating whether to try her luck and see if he would talk to her when Natsu got to his feet abruptly, his expression darker than it had been before and she couldn’t quite hold back a frightened noise. _Does he even realise how scary he can be when he gets like this?_ She wondered as she stared at him cautiously, watching as he visibly tried to calm himself, his expression settling into one of discontentment before he finally turned and headed in their direction and they all fell silent as they watched his approach.

“I’m going home,” He muttered as he reached them, but before they could reply he had moved on, his head down so that he could avoid interacting with anyone. For a moment Lucy reached out a hand as though to stop him, but Erza gently reached out and pushed it down with a small shake of her head, an understanding expression on her face.

“Let him be.”

“Happy shouldn’t you go with him?” Carla asked with a frown, glancing across at the other Exceed who was unenthusiastically continuing to work his way through the plate of fish he was eating. At her words he gave up on the pretence, pushing the plate away with a despondent sigh.

“No,” He replied shaking his head violently, his eyes sad as he glanced towards the door, watching as his partner slipped out without even a backwards glance, and his ears drooped as he turned back to the girls who were watching him expectantly. “He prefers to be on his own when he’s like this.” He’d barely managed to get two words out of the Dragon-slayer for the past two days as it was, and he knew that it was only going to be worse now. “He was so excited this morning, and now…I think it’s better if I leave him be.”

“You can stay with me tonight if you want,” Wendy offered with a small smile, ignoring the half-hearted protest from Carla and Happy nodded in relief.

“Aye!”

**

   Natsu found himself outside Gray’s apartment before he even realised what he was doing, and he hesitated for a moment staring at the door even as rain poured down on his head, with a sigh he turned away and headed in the opposite direction. Normally he liked going into Gray’s because although the Ice mage was rarely there nowadays, his scent lingered everywhere, and it allowed Natsu to pretend that his mate was right there with him. However, today the thought of being surrounded by the beloved scent of snow and pines felt like it was adding insult to injury _. I want Gray_. He hadn’t been allowed to go as Makarov had feared that he would cause too much damage, and as the job was assisting someone with close ties to the council, it had been judged too risky. That had been bad enough, but then what was supposed to be a one-week job had turned into a fortnight. A fortnight with only communication lacrimas to tide them over, and then the storm had hit, and everything seemed a hundred times worse.

“Damn it.” He muttered, scuffing at the ground as he headed towards the path that led to his house, a fierce scowl on his face as he tried to blink back the tears trying to escape. It’s nothing to cry over - the trains can’t run that’s all, it’s not like he’s hurt or anything. Yet even though he knew that was true, it didn’t make him feel better, and he couldn’t stop himself from sniffling slightly. _Stupid Ice Princess. Stupid storm. Stupid trains…_ Thankful for the rain that hid the traitorous tears that slipped free he broke into a run, wanting nothing more than to be home and away from people so that he could sulk in peace, fiercely determined that he wasn’t going to go anywhere near the guild until Gray came home.

Hurry up, Gray.

****

   The Ice mage was certain that someone out there must hate him. First, the trains were stopped by the storm, but now none of the rental companies was willing to hire out their magic cars because of the treacherous driving condition. He’d even offered to pay extra but they had adamantly refused, and whilst rationally he knew it was probably for the best if things on the road were that bad, it was hard to be rational when all he wanted to do was go home.

   He was currently sheltering under the awning of the train station, watching as the rain continued to pour around him and noticing that the street was slowly turning into a large puddle of water. There were a few brave souls out of the street, rushing from doorway to doorway in an attempt to stay as dry as possible, although from what he could tell it was a lost cause. He’d only been out from under the shelter for a couple of minutes, and he was soaked to the bone. Of course, he’d instinctively turned to ask Natsu to dry him off with his magic, only to curse as he remembered that he was on his own. _When did I become so accustomed to his presence?_ Shivering he lent against the wall as he turned his attention back to his current situation. As far as he could tell he was down to two options at this point, he could either admit defeat and find a place to stay in until either the roads cleared, or the trains resumed, which might be a problem considering how many other people were also stranded in Onibus.

Or he could walk…

“It would be insane,” he muttered as he stared at the growing puddle, rolling his eyes as he could almost imagine Natsu next to him shrugging and going ‘so what?’. Of course, the Dragon-slayer would always choose that option if it meant avoiding vehicles, so his input even if imagined was less than useful, especially as the Fire mage had the bonus of being able to dry himself off using his magic whereas Gray would be stuck with wet clothes. “I should just find a hotel, but…” But that means not seeing Natsu for another couple of days, and if the storm doesn’t lessen enough for repairs to be done- he could wind up stuck here for much longer than a couple of days.

   Grumbling he hesitated for a few more minutes before gritting his teeth and turning to head inside, unable to remember where any of the hotels were and hoping the woman from before could help him. However, after a couple of steps, he found himself coming to a halt, his hands clenching at his sides as he wavered between the sensible choice, and…With a muttered curse he whirled and charged out into the rain before he could change his mind, wincing as the rain immediately soaked into his already damp clothes, already regretting his decision as he tucked his head down and headed down the road.

“You better appreciate this Flamebrain…”

**

   It was worse than he’d thought, and barely ten minutes out from Onibus he had found himself regretting his decision although he made no effort to turn back. His clothes now clung tightly to him, plastered against his already damp skin, making movement uncomfortable and yet he continued plodding along, carefully ignoring the odd person who passed him hurrying for the sanctuary of the town. Seriously what was going on with the weather? It had been pleasant just a few days before, and now it felt like he was swimming home, a process not helped by the wind slamming into him and trying to push him back in the direction that he’d just come from.

“I could’ve had a warm bath and a nice dry bed. But no, I’d much rather be out in the wet,” he muttered to himself, groaning as he began to shiver slightly. Whilst his childhood in the north and his ice magic generally protected him from feeling the cold, they weren’t quite so effective against this kind of chill, and he knew that he was going to be absolutely frozen by the time he got home, although at least then he’d have Natsu to help warm him up. _Not that I’d have much choice in the matter._ He had a feeling that Natsu was going to be reluctant to let him out of his sight for a while, not that he had any intention of complaining. Unfortunately thinking about Natsu’s warmth had only made him feel colder, and his shivering increased as he tried to pull his coat tighter, not that it really gave him any added warmth.

_This was a stupid idea…_

****

   Natsu sighed as he glanced at the clock, realising that it was already gone ten as he picked listlessly at his food. Even though he’d heard the news, he couldn’t help hoping that his mate would be able to do the impossible and he’d put off eating for as long as possible, but by nine o’clock he’d had to admit defeat _. Gray wasn’t coming home today_. Happy had clearly reached that conclusion too as there had been no sign of the Exceed and the Dragon-slayer hoped that he’d managed to convince one of the others to let him stay over for the night, privately relieved that he didn’t need to try and act cheerful for his friend’s sake, although at the same time he was finding that the empty house made Gray’s absence even more pronounced. With another sigh he shoved the plate of food aside, glowering down at it for a moment as though it was to blame for his current situation.

  He sat there for another few minutes before forcing himself to move, covering the largely untouched meal and stuffing it into the fridge in the hopes that he would feel hungrier the next day. The kitchen was already spotless as he’d taken to tidying the house in an attempt to stave off his loneliness and boredom, which left him with nothing to do unless he went back to the guild, but the thought of company was even more repulsive now that it had been earlier. Especially as it was only the diehard drinkers like Cana who would be around at this time of night, and he wasn’t in the mood for dealing with that kind of company.

   With an irritated huff, he decided that it was just better to go to bed, at least when he was asleep he wouldn’t be missing Gray, and it would make tomorrow come quicker. He’d heard the estimates on repairs taking a couple of days at least, but he was clinging desperately to the hope that it wouldn’t take that long. He’d even offered to go across and help, but that had been shot down immediately, with Gajeel unhelpfully pointing out that he would probably damage it even more. Whilst normally that might be true, there was no way he would risk doing something that would delay Gray’s return even further, but unfortunately, Erza and Gramps had agreed with the other Dragon-slayer. Grumbling he headed upstairs not looking forward to curling up in an empty bed, even though it had originally taken him a few months to get used to sharing with the popsicle.

   Stepping into the bedroom he sniffed slightly, Gray’s scent washing over him. It wasn’t as potent here as it was at Gray’s, but it was enough to reignite his loneliness, compounded by the sight of Gray’s belongings sprawled across the floor and hanging from the wardrobe and for a moment he contemplated going and sleeping downstairs on the couch. However, he could hear the Ice mage’s voice in the back of his mind, scolding him for being an idiot, and with a sigh he began to change for bed. He slipped into the baggy t-shirt that had belonged to Gray when he first moved turned his mate on to see him wearing his clothes. Turning off the lights he slid into bed, curling up in the middle of the bed and hugging Gray’s pillow against his chest, burying his face against the material and finding himself sniffling again.

Gray…

****

   Gray let out a shuddering sigh of relief as Natsu’s cottage finally came into sight, although the sigh quickly turned to fresh shivering and he wrapped his arms around himself even as he sped up. It didn’t look like the main lights were on so the Fire mage had probably gone to bed already, he just hoped that the door was unlocked so that he didn’t have to disturb him. Although at least Natsu’s hearing was sharp enough that he wouldn’t end up being locked out all night. Still, it would be nice to surprise the Flamebrain, as it was clear that he’d given up on Gray getting back if he was in bed at this time rather than waiting up for him. Even though his teeth were chattering violently by this point, he couldn’t help but smile, remembering how startled he’d been when Natsu had waited up for him the first time, and just how stubborn he’d been on the matter when the Ice mage had tried to convince him that it wasn’t necessary.

“Idiot,” he muttered fondly, only to curse as he nearly slipped on the mud path, promising himself as he did every time that he would talk to Natsu about fixing it. He knew that the Fire mage had never really bothered because he was away so often on jobs and generally it had only been him and Happy coming out here, but that had all changed now, and the path was definitely a hazard in weather like this. Although saying that even the main roads that he’d done his best to stick to on the way back had been a nightmare, and more than once he’d had to take detours off the beaten path to get around flooded areas and debris, and his sodden clothes were also well and truly coated with mud and leaves.

   It was a challenge not to slump into a heap when he finally managed to reach the front door, weariness and the chill pressing in on him even more now that the promise of warmth and sleep were so close. Shivering more violently now he fumbled for the door, relieved that Natsu had at least left the porch light on for him, or more likely he’d forgotten to turn it off…, nly to curse as the door failed to budge under his hand. _Why do you have to choose today of all days to become safety conscious?_ He asked irritably in his head, remembering all the times he’d had to remind the Dragon-slayer to lock up when they were both going to be away on a job. For a moment he leant against the door frame, feeling his eyes already beginning to droop slightly and shaking his head to clear it he reached out and rapped sharply on the door, his expression softening as it occurred to him that the locked door was probably so that the Fire mage could sulk in peace.

_Come on Natsu…_

   He was dancing awkwardly on the spot, desperately trying to generate some heat and idly wondering if it was even possible for an Ice mage to die from the cold. _I can just imagine what Lyon would say about that,_ he thought with a grimace, turning back to glare at the door and he was just about to knock again and possibly yell when the hall lights flickered on, and he stepped forward with a hopeful expression. A moment later he heard grumbling, followed by the distinctive sound of the Dragon-slayer charging down the doors in his usual headlong manner and he sighed, unsurprised when the next thing he heard was a dull thud and a pained groan. Clearly, Natsu had manged to collide either with the wall at the base of the stairs, or the cupboard in the hallway and the Ice mage rolled his eyes as he recalled all the times he’d warned him about that, especially as the poor cupboard was already dented in more than a dozen places from previous collisions. _Idiot…_

   Then there was the sound he was desperate to hear, keys fumbling in the keyhole and he hastily straightened and pasted the best grin he could muster through his exhaustion and the chill, still wanting to surprise the Fire mage despite his current condition.

“What do you... Gray?” Natsu had managed to get the lock open, flinging the door open with more force than necessary, a fierce scowl on his face which instantly transformed into a stunned expression as his gaze landed on the grinning Ice mage. For a long moment they just stared at one another, Natsu clearly too shocked to speak whilst Gray was just savouring the sight of his Fire mage and the fact that he’d successfully surprised him. It also didn’t escape his notice that the idiot had was wearing his stolen t-shirt once more, and he felt the familiar wave of possessiveness rise in his chest at the sight. _Mine_. However, it didn’t take long for another bout of shivering to overtake him, and his voice was shaky as he whispered quietly.

“I’m home.”

   He wasn’t sure whether it was his voice or the shivers wracking him that finally shook his mate out of his shock, but a second later he found himself with Natsu’s overly warm body pressed against him as the Dragon-slayer wrapped an arm around him and guided him in the door. He opened his mouth to speak but then noticed the fierce expression on the Fire mage’s face and found himself completely unable to speak, instead allowing Natsu to pull him inside, the door closing quietly behind them. Then there were warm hands on him, startling him for a moment until he realised that Natsu was trying to remove his sodden clothes. Wordlessly he allowed his bag to fall to the ground, before surrendering and letting Natsu remove his clothes, lips quirking up wearily as he heard the Dragon-slayer grumbling over the state of them.

“What were you thinking coming back in this weather?” Natsu demanded once he’d stripped Gray down to his boxers, olive eyes narrowed with concern as he watched the shivering Ice mage and before Gray had a chance to respond the Dragon-slayer was shrugging out of his t-shirt.

“What?” Gray asked in confusion, protesting weakly as the t-shirt was forced over his head, although he quickly fell quiet as he realised just how warm it felt against his chilled skin and his expression softened as he nuzzled his nose against the neck of the shirt. “It’s warm…” _You’re warm_ , he added privately as he blinked and looked across at Natsu who was watching him, happiness visible beneath the concern in his eyes, and the Ice mage wasn’t surprised when he was pulled into a hug a moment later. Instantly his own arms snaked up to wrap around Natsu, smiling as the Dragon-slayer pressed his face into the crook of his neck, nuzzling against his skin with a happy sigh.

“I missed you.”

“Yeah I missed you too,” Gray agreed softly, pressing a small kiss to Natsu’s temple before the Fire mage pulled back to peer up at him and he smiled slightly as he caught the emotions swimming in the olive eyes. Still shivering slightly, he reached up to gently cup Natsu’s cheek, the Dragon-slayer instinctively leaning into the touch. “That’s why I couldn’t wait for the trains to start running again.”

“Idiot,” Natsu muttered with heat, feeling a hint of colour flooding his cheeks at the look that the Ice mage was giving him. Whilst he was delighted to have Gray back, and to know that the Ice mage had been willing to push himself to this point for his sake, it didn’t ease the worry he felt as another shiver went through his Mate. Sighing he forced himself to pull back, aware that his heat wasn’t going to be enough in the situation, although he couldn’t bring himself to let go completely and he laced their fingers together, pressing a small kiss to the back of Gray’s hand before adding softly. “Come on let’s get you in a warm bath, so you’re warmed up properly.” Gray was flustered by the small gesture, and he followed without complaint.

**

   Gray was practically asleep on his feet as Natsu finally pulled him into the bedroom, after forcing him to soak in the bath for nearly an hour, the Dragon-slayer carefully keeping the water at the right temperature and making sure the Ice mage didn’t drown himself as he kept threatening to doze off. He’d felt bad for not being able to keep up a conversation, especially once he’d realised that Happy wasn’t home and therefore his mate was on his own, but Natsu had seemed perfectly content to just sit on the floor beside him and watch over him. He wanted to try and thank the Fire mage but all that came out was a sleepy mumble, and he groaned as Natsu turned to look at him in confusion, glancing away sheepishly as he heard Natsu chuckle softly.

“You don’t have to thank me,” the Dragon-slayer scolded with a smile, and Gray glanced up with wide eyes for a moment, before he found himself smiling in response although it quickly morphed into a wide yawn and he reached up to rub a hand over his eyes. “Come on let’s go to bed,” Natsu ordered softly as he lowered his hand a moment later.

“Sorry…”

“You walked all this way just for me,” Natsu pointed out as he pushed the Ice mage towards the bed with gentle hands, pulling back the covers and urging him to climb in. “You have nothing to be sorry for,” he added fiercely as he pulled the covers up over the Ice mage, smiling down at Gray before circling around to his side of the bed and slipping under the covers as well and shifting as close as possible so that they were pressed against one another.

“It wasn’t just for you.” Gray admitted under his breath even as he curled up against Natsu’s warmth, reaching out to rest a hand over the Fire mage’s chest so that he could feel his heart. I missed this…In the past, it had never bothered him to go on jobs and sleep on his own, but now every bed felt too large and lonely even if it was just for a night.

“I know,” Natsu replied, and Gray glanced up in surprise, not sure of what to make of his mate’s tone, but Natsu didn’t look upset. “I’m glad, it means you want to be here with me,” he explained with a shy smile before glancing away as he caught the shocked expression on Gray’s face, and the Ice mage sighed before muttering softly.

“Idiot, where else would I want to be?”

   Sleepily he moved across so that he was laid with his head now resting on Natsu’s chest, moving his hand across to grasp one of Natsu’s and tangling their fingers together, smiling as he felt Natsu relaxing and curling around him in return. As he felt Natsu’s head come to rest against his, he let out a contented sigh as warmth engulfed him. In the past, it would have been unbearable, but now it was welcoming and protective - it was home. He would quite happily make that walk in the rain a hundred times over as long as he had this to come back to, and he was just about to open his mouth and say as much when he was greeted with a deafening snore.

“Natsu…” He tilted his head enough to see the Fire mage’s face, sighing as he realised that the idiot really had fallen asleep on him, although his expression softened as he took in the dark shadows beneath his mate’s eyes for the first time, realising that the idiot probably hasn’t been sleeping. “I missed you Flamebrain,” he whispered as he let his head rest against Natsu’s chest once more, exhaustion and Natsu’s warmth lulling him swiftly to sleep, and he didn’t feel anything as the Dragon-slayer shifted just enough to press his lips against messy dark hair.

“Welcome home.”


End file.
